Footwear holder

ABSTRACT

A footwear holder comprises a base sheet having an area for placing a pair of footwear thereon side-by-side, a pair of openings formed in the base sheet for receiving the heels of the footwear and members attached to the base sheet for fastening the footwear against detachment from the base sheet when the heels are fitted in the openings. The footwear thus held onto the base sheets in pairs is ready for transportation or display.

0 United States Patent [151 3,635,353

Matsubara 45 Ja 18, 1972 54] FOOTWEAR HOLDER l,7l0,73l 4/1929 Hawkins ..211 35 l,909,942 5/1933 [72] inventor: Tsune l Matsubara, Osaka, Japan 2,566,656 9/1951 73 Assignee: Hatanaka Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., 2,603,393 7/1952 Osaka, Japan 2,698,689 l/l955 Novack ..2l H34 Filedi 1970 Primary Examiner-Nile C. Byers, Jr. No: Att0r7l8Y-Gfl0l'gfi Oujevolk [57] ABSTRACT 30 F A li t' 1 orelgn pp ca Pnonty Data A footwear holder comprises a base sheet having an area for Mar. 24, 1969 Japan ..44/26018 placing a pair of footwear thereon side-by-side, a pair of openings formed in the base sheet for receiving the heels of [52] U.S.CI ..2ll/34 the footwear and members attached to the base sheet for [51] Int. Cl. ..A47f 7/08 fastening the footwear against detachment from the base sheet [58] Field of Search ..21l/34, 35, 38, 37, 36; when the heels are fitted in the openings. The footwear thus 248/99 held onto the base sheets in pairs is ready for transportation or display. [56] References Cited 1 Claims, 4 Drawing Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS Dl62,0l0 2/1951 Colombo ..D80/9 19 K???- CH/DOR/ FOOTWEAR HOLDER BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION l. Field Of The Invention The present invention relatesto holders for footwear provided with heels such as sandals, the holders being intended for use in arranging the footwear in pairs for delivery to stores after production as well as for display when it is put on sale.

2; Description Of The Prior Art conventionally, the footwear manufactured are placed into a box in pairsand delivered to the stores for sale. However, the procedure to place the goods into a box in pairs requires much trouble, time and labor, while the box thus packed is inconvenient to handle because it is bulky. n the other hand, the footwear has to be taken out of the box when delivered to stores and displayed for sale or tried on by customers. On such occasions, no small trouble is encountered in rearranging the footwear, because pairs of the sandals or the like get separated from each other when taken out of the box. In order to prevent separation, the articles are joined together in pairs with strings, but such procedure involves a still greater trouble and deteriorates the appearances to produce poor results when the articles are displayed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An'object of the present invention is to eliminate abovementioned problems heretofore experienced and to provide a novel footwear holder.

The footwear holder of the present invention comprises a base sheet having an area for placing a pair of footwear thereon side by side, a pair of openings formed in the base sheet for receiving the heels of the footwear and footwear fastening means attached to the base sheet.

In accordance with the present invention, the footwear can be fixedly attached to the holders in pairs with ease. Being small in volume, the holders are convenient to handle for delivery, while the footwear can be displayed with good ap pearance as it is attached to the holders. Thus, the use of the holders of the present invention insures distinguished substantial advantages.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2 in which a preferred embodiment of the present invention is shown, a footwear holder 1 comprises a rectangular base sheet 2 which is large enough to place thereon a pair of footwear 3 side by side. The base sheet 2 is usually made of thick paper, a synthetic resin sheet, or the like. Paper may preferably be used because it is economical and facilitates printing. On the surface of the base sheet 2 are printed the price and desired indication such as trademark of the commercial article, i.e., footwear 3.

In the lower portion of the base sheet 2 a pair of openings 4 is stamped out side by side. The openings 4 receive therein fibers. The strings are each caught on a pair of upper tongues 6and another pair of lower tongues 7 each of which is formed by cutting off a portion of the base sheet in U-shape, with one long transverse side left uncut. The upper tongue 6 is defined by three linear edges, the two opposite edges 6a on the right and left being slightly beveled outward from the base portion of the tongue. This form of the tongue '6 serves to retain the string 5 against detachment from the tongue. On the other hand. the lower tongue 7 is provided along the upper side of the opening 4 for receiving the heel 30. To form the lower tongue 7, a portion of the base sheet 2 iscut off in a vertically long U-shape and a substantial part of the flap thus fonned is cut out to provide the heel opening 4, with some part along the base portion lett uncut. In this mannenthe lower tongue 7 is formed along the upper side of the opening 4 simultaneously when it is made. With the provision of a fold 8 along the upper side of the lower tongue 7, the lower tongue 7 is folded rearwardly of the base sheet 2 when the heel 3a of footwear is fitted into the opening 4.

Disposed in the upper end of the base sheet 2 at the middle of the width thereof is an eyelet 9 which has a hold 9a for suspension.

To place a pair of the footwear 3 onto the footwear holder 1 of the present embodiment, the front portion of the footwear 3 is inserted into a loop of the endless fastening string 5 caught on the upper tongue 6 in resilient contact therewith and the heel 3a is then fitted into the opening snugly. The rear portion of the footwear 3 is thereafter held by the endless fastening string 5 on the lower tongue 7. In this fashion, a pair of the footwear will be juxtaposed on the base sheet 2 in fitting engagement therewith against detachment as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.

Referring now to FIGS. 3 and 4 in which another embodiment is shown, a base sheet 12 is provided with two endless, resilient fastening strings 15 each on the right and left. The string is longer than the one used in the foregoing example and passed around an upper tongue 16 and a lower tongue 17 formed in the base sheet 12. On the front surface of the base sheet 12, the fastening string 15 is disposed transversely over the base portions of the upper and lower tongues l6, l7 and extends vertically between the upper and lower tongues l6, 17 on the rear surface of the base sheet 12.

The upper tongue 16 is formed substantially in an inverted U-shape with an arcuate upper edge 16b, the right and left edges 16a being curved inward and terminating at small holes 21 for passing the fastening string 15; The lower tongue 17 is likewise provided with right and left edges 17a whose opposite ends are positioned slightly inward to form small holes 21. These small holes 21 permit the string 15 to stretch or contract as desired, thereby facilitating attachment of the footwear to the base sheet 12. The upper and lower tongues l6, l7 and openings 14 for receiving the heels 13a of the footwear are slightly inclined in accordance with the shape of the footwear 13.

An eyelet 19 attached to the upper end of the base sheet 12 is provided, on its rear face, with a hook 22 for suspension which is adapted to be turned and hung on a projection for display. When not in use, the hook is turned about the eyelet 19 to a hidden position behind the base sheet 12.

It will be apparent from the description above that footwear can be readily attached in pairs to the holders of the present invention and that the footwear, when fitted onto the holders with the heels kept in snug-fit contact with the openings, can be held in position against displacement. Accordingly, the footwear holders insure convenience in handling the footwear produced and offer a great economical advantage in that a great deal of footwear can be packed in a large packaging box for transportation. In addition, the footwear, as it is held to the holder, can be displayed for sale or tried on.

It should be understood that the foregoing embodiments are given only for the illustration of the principle of this invention. Many modifications will be made by those skilled'in the art without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. A footwear holder comprising: ing small holes for passing a string; and. a. a flat base sheet having defined thereon an area for placd, ili nt fastening strings passing around said upper and ing Paired footwear Side by Side; lower tongues. said strings being transversely disposed b. a pair of openings formed in said base sheet for receiving along the base ponions of Said upper and lower tongues the heels of the footwear; 5

on the front surface of said base sheet, said strings extending vertically between said upper and lower tongues on the rear surface of said base sheet.

c. a pair of upper and lower tongues on the right and left, formed by cutting off lower and upper portions of said base sheet in a U-shape, the ends of opposite side edges of said upper and lower tongues extending inwards provid- 

1. A footwear holder comprising: a. a flat base sheet having defined thereon an area for placing paired footwear side by side; b. a pair of openings formed in said base sheet for receiving the heels of the footwear; c. a pair of upper and lower tongues on the right and left, formed by cutting off lower and upper portions of said base sheet in a U-shape, the ends of opposite side edges of said upper and lower tongues extending inwards providing small holes for passing a string; and, d. resilient fastening strings passing around said upper and lower tongues, said strings being transversely disposed along the base portions of said upper and lower tongues on the front surface of said base sheet, said strings extending vertically between said upper and lower tongues on the rear surface of said base sheet. 